LOS ANGELES — She had waited a painful seven weeks for this afternoon.

USC junior Anna Cockrell, the two-time NCAA 400-meter hurdles runner-up, trusted her coaches, trusted her trainers. She had done everything she could to come back from a left hamstring injury that threatened to derail her season.

Still, on the morning of the 86th USC-UCLA dual meet at Loker Stadium on Sunday, Cockrell was still wrestling with doubt.

“I’m not going to lie,” Cockrell said. “I was a little nervous.”

Nervous enough that right before the 400 hurdles she chased down Trojan assistant Quincy Watts for some last second reassurance.

“Just be Anna because when Anna’s Anna,” Watts said recalling the conversation later “she’s tremendous.”

That Cockrell was.

Cockrell led the USC women to a 90-69 triumph with resounding victory in the 400 hurdles, a second in the 100 hurdles and a leg on the winning 4×400 relay, a performance that bolstered the Trojans hopes of successfully defending their NCAA team title as the season heads into its final three meets – the Pac-12, NCAA West Regional and NCAA championships.

UCLA won the men’s meet 102-69 for the Bruins’ third victory in four years in college track’s most storied rivalry. With Robert Brandt and Dotun Ojundeji leading the way, the Bruins win followed a familiar game plan, dominate the distances and sweep the throws and jumps.

Brandt, a contender for the NCAA 10,000 title in June, dropped down to win the 1,500 in an impressive 3 minutes, 44.66 as UCLA outscored the Trojans 25-3 from 1,500 up. Ojundeji took both the shot up (65-feet, 11 inches) and discus (186-9) on an afternoon when the Bruins won all eight field events.

Bruin Alyssa Wilson was just as impressive in the women’s meet, winning the shot (56-3), discus (186-11) and hammer throw (223-8).

But even Wilson’s heroics weren’t nearly enough to hold off a Trojan squad, that with Cockrell’s return, once again looks like a team capable of winning the NCAA team crown.

Cockrell missed the NCAA final and the Trojans first six outdoor meets as she rehabilitated the injury. But she was determined to make it back for the dual meet.

“I was nervous but I was excited,” she said. “I have been waiting and waiting and wanting to come back. I did not want to miss this meet, so I think excitement won out over the nervousness.

“Still I had that doubt in the back of my mind, what if I haven’t done enough? What if I’m not ready?”

She looked plenty ready in a 56.44 romp in the 400 hurdles. The clocking is second only to Kansas State and Jamaica’s Ranae McKenzie (56.11) among collegians this season. Only three Americans have run faster than Cockrell in 2019 – Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer, Worlds bronze medalist Cassandra Tate and Kori Carter, the 2017 World champion.

“It’s so affirming,” Cockrell said. “I’m just happy that I’m back. It’s just good to be here.”

While Anna is back to being Anna, Trojan sophomore sprinter Tee Tee Terry could soon be in need of a new nickname. Terry, the NCAA Indoor 60 champion, was nicked named Tee Tee “10.9” Terry by then Trojan teammate Rai Benjamin, the 2018 NCAA 400 hurdles champion, after running a wind-aided 10.97 last season. The clocking and nickname came after Benjamin bet Terry $50 she couldn’t break 11.0.

“I’m still waiting for that,” Terry said referring to Benjamin’s pay-off.

If Sunday was any indication Terry’s nickname might be obsolete by the time Benjamin gets around to making good on the wager. Despite shutting it down about 10 meters from the finish, Terry ran a barely wind-aided 10.99 against the Bruins. The wind reading was 2.1 meters per second, 0.1 over the allowable limit. Even so, it was the fastest collegiate time this season under any conditions. Terry also anchored USC’s world-leading and meet record 42.77 victory in the 4×100 relay.

“She stopped early and ran 10.99,” Smith Gilbert said “so it will be interesting to see what she can do.”

Terry had an idea.

“Hoping to become ‘Tee Tee “10.8” Terry,’” she said. “This shows I’m getting back in the groove.”

So are the Trojans.

“Everything’s coming together at the right time,” Terry said. “We only have two more meets before nationals so this is the right time for everything to come together. We’ve got Anna back so everything is falling into place.”

Scott M. Reid is a sports enterprise/investigative reporter for the Orange County Register. He also covers Olympic and international sports as well as the Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. His work for the Register has led to investigations by the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of Education, the California Legislature, and the national governing bodies for gymnastics and swimming. Reid's 2011 reporting on wide spread sexual abuse within USA Gymnastics and the governing body's failure to effectively address it led to Don Peters, coach of the 1984 record-setting Olympic team, being banned from the sport for life. His reporting also prompted USA Gymnastics to adopt new guidelines and policies dealing with sexual abuse. Reid's 2012 and 2013 reporting on sexual abuse within USA Swimming led to the banishment of two top level coaches. Reid has won 11 Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting since 1999. He has also been honored by APSE for game writing, and enterprise, news, and beat reporting. He was an Investigative Reporters and Editors award finalist in 2002 and 2003. Prior to joining the Register in 1996, Reid worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Times Herald. He has a B.A. in the History of the Americas from the University of Washington.

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